The Big Getaway

Face It, Man, you've had it. How long has it been since you had a few days off? Not just one of those overnight jumps or weekend flings, but a real honest-to-spa vacation, the full treatment -- travel agents doing nip-ups, airlines hopping, railroads humping, liners leaping, new clothes, new luggage, new landscapes and new liaisons looming beyond the horizon.

Don't fake it, you need a change. Everybody does around this time of year when every joke is stale, every drink Hat, every crack a cliché and every job a treadmill. Don't just stand there, do something. Hock your soul, sell the family jewels, mortgage the old homestead, con your grandmother, do anything short of embezzlement, but get with it. If this sounds like the Mephistopheles bit from Faust, that's exactly its intention. Perhaps you don't need any more prompting than a chance glance at a travel poster or quick look at a timetable to set you off. Regardless of what it takes, you've got to go.

If, as they say, getting there is half the fun, then what you wear counts for a large portion of the total kicks, too. And it doesn't matter where your ticket takes you: certain basics are right regardless of geography. A gentleman wouldn't make a move without at least one full-fledged suit. We recommend a patterned one. A glen plaid, for instance, or a small check, or hairline stripe to travel in and for general wear when you get there. These should be in colors that take well to travel: medium grays, dark naturals, khaki tones are all recommended. If you have room, two suits might go along, one of which should definitely be dark. An extra pair of slacks, preferably solid color to couple with the suit jacket and with a separate sports jacket, adds up to maximum mileage from a minimum of pieces. For vacations we feel that jackets can live it up a little, especially in color. Indian madras looks good with its bright but off-register, off-beat colors, and the solid-colored linens, such as bright navy blue or dark green, have an easy elegance. A silk jacket is a fine idea; it's practically a year-round item and there's lots of news in the nubby weaves and bright colors. However, notwithstanding the wide spectrum, the darker-colored naturals still look best. Well-cut walking shorts should also be included, except, of course, if you're planning a jaunt to either pole. You might even want to consider an extra pair in one of the deep-toned stripes, say in dark blue and wine. Mate these with a couple of distinguished sports shirts; one, a knitted pull-over and the other a longsleeved cotton, silk or mixture to take care of the pre-prandial hours. For later on in the day we submit the dark suit, and nominate blue as the color that mows down competition and sweeps the cream of the quail into your camp. Brown is also a good color to stack up with a sun tan, particularly the tones that take their cue from tobacco. Slightly less formal than black, these browns are the perfect choice for, say, a luncheon date or for all afternoon engagements from a bullfight to a bistro.

Two pairs of shoes are minimum: regulation dress and moccasins or loafers. Hats are optional, but no man is really well-dressed for semi-formal occasions without one, no matter how warm the weather. Small-brimmed caps in cotton are excellent for sport or casual wear. Additional gear you tote can be guided by your luggage space, your packing skills and your itinerary. These along with underwear, socks, ties, sleeping fare and toilet articles should turn you out nicely for any social function less elaborate than a Hunt Ball, which is pretty rare at most retreats.

Anywhere or any way you go, it's much better to go light. Naturally the region that you choose to bless with your presence dictates the plot for packing, and if there's any doubt how to get the stuff into the carpetbag, check page 50 of this issue. And if you're wondering where to wander (see International Datebook, p. 14), you have only to indicate the slighest interest in any place from Hobe Sound to Hong Kong and the wheels of tourism start to roll. Every country has a travel bureau, every chamber of commerce has plans for you and every travel agent is a walkie-talkie Rand McNally.

One final word of cautionary advice from us -- seasoned travelers that we are. It has to do with the fact that just as there are regional differences in idiom and scenery in various parts of the vacation world, so there are distinct modes of dress. The man who shows up in a tuxedo at Saturday night dinner in a hotel where it's the custom to dine informally, feels as conspicuously misfit as the guy who commits the opposite fox pass by not dressing at some continental joint where evening wear at dinner is de rigueur. There aren't many of those left -- none in this country that we know of -- but there are for sure local customs in costume. And local stores that know it. So save space in your luggage for taking home vacation-time purchases and take your cue on what to buy from the smart repeat customers you spot on your first day in the new locale. Oh, yes -- one more adjuration: have fun!

At left: the glen plaid for going -- a suit that gets you there looking just as crisp and fresh as when you left. The jacket alone, coupled with a pair of dark slacks, fills in as an extra sports outfit. The suit is by Gordon of Philadelphia, in wrinkle-free dacron and cotton, about $45. The coat by London Fog, about $30. The hat by Lee.

Below: early starters, a natural combination for a great day in the morning -- easy-going walk shorts with a rugged knit pull-over that can take you anywhere on your enchanted isle. The dacron and cotton walk shorts are by Corbin, about $13.50. The brazen striped shirt by Dee Sportswear. The white cap by Elis. The moccasins by Taylor-Made.

Right: plenty of local color -- a three-button blazer jacket that's weightless for warmer climes, in good form anywhere. The jacket, by Palm Beach, about $35. The slacks, likewise lightweight, by Corbin, about $15. Both are done up in travelwise dacron and cotton.

Above: for nonpareil night excursions -- the single-breasted dark suit that noticeably shortens the distance between a gentleman and the best-looking miss in the room. The suit is a pin-striped midnight blue woven of dacron and wool, shape-retaining no matter how warm the going gets, by Norman Hilton, about $85.